In Conclusion
Dan Barker’s tactic appears to be to selectively and conveniently quote miniscule portions of texts that are meant to get his audience emotionally attached to his conclusions. That is to say, he makes emotionally charged statements, gives the appearance of referencing the Bible actual statements, and finally draws a conclusion that is, in reality, only a reflection of poor, lazy or non-existent scholarship. Dan Barker is fallaciously pulling texts out of context as pretexts for proof-texts.
Let us summarize the conclusion that we reached when we considered the ethical system that Dan Barker has concocted:
Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to “the Bible rape is considered ok, the God of the Bible commanded and condoned rape.”Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible we will be happy to dash little ones against the rock.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible Jews were commanded to be intolerant and only love their fellow Jewish neighbours.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible women defile men and no women nor Christians allowed in the heavenly choir.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible child sacrifice is sanctioned and the right thing to do.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible having multiple wives and concubines, by the thousands, is not wrong.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible we are to hate our parents.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible we are to castrate ourselves.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible poverty equals salvation.Let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible Christians should not tithe (unless).
Finally, let us assume that Dan Barker is correct and according to the Bible Christmas trees are condemned by the Bible.
According to Dan Barker’s very own ethical system he could not claim that any one of these commands and subsequent actions are absolutely, that is forever in the past, in the present and in the future, immoral.
In the end, Dan Barker does not discredit religion, Christianity, the Bible or its God but only succeeds in discrediting himself.
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